ZMF Atrium - new open-back co-flagship
- Thread starter DeweyCH
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LCMusicLover
Headphoneus Supremus
I’m stuck on silver cables — Lavricable Grand has worked well for me.
My Atrium came with the B.B.B. strap. They look really nice, but I wonder if if the Co-Pilot pads are gonna be better comfort wise. Anyone know if I the Co-Pilot pads work with the B.B.B. straps or do I need to switch to the regular straps?
I would have to ask what you are trying to achieve with the cables. Looking to brighten the sound, go silver. Looking to darken the sound, go copper. GENERALLY SPEAKING, not always.
glpsace
100+ Head-Fier
Thank you so much for your answer. It really breaks my heart to learn that.
Cheers.
glpsace
100+ Head-Fier
I know that mate (thank you for answering me) but it won't solve the issues I will have with Customs once they get back to my Country. I already had enough issues with them in the past, with other products. They won't care if it was a purchase or not, either you pay fees and taxes or the product won't be released and will go back after a certain period of time.
juannycash
100+ Head-Fier
Have spent around 4 hours with the Atriums so far. Couldn't make it to the closed releases as a beautiful stabilized showed up in classifieds.
So far most wowed by how much more resolution I hear in lower frequencies compared to the Verite closed. Not as much as the Caldera though. Atrium is sitting as a nice middle between the Verite and Caldera to my ears.Awesome gear, love it
Deleeh
Headphoneus Supremus
Hello,
I went back a few pages in the hope of reading some impressions of the Atrium Bocote.
Has anyone bought it and has anything to say about it?
I selected the Universe and Auterur Lambskin pads in the shopping cart.
Should I add anything else?
Atmos C cable is also in there, although there could probably be better I would be open to a copper cable.
I went back a few pages in the hope of reading some impressions of the Atrium Bocote.
Has anyone bought it and has anything to say about it?
I selected the Universe and Auterur Lambskin pads in the shopping cart.
Should I add anything else?
Atmos C cable is also in there, although there could probably be better I would be open to a copper cable.
Hifiearspeakers
Headphoneus Supremus
The impressions aren’t going to be any different from any of the other woods. The Atrium is the most open ZMF, so wood variations aren’t really going to be a factor on sound. So basically, it’s going to sound awesome, just like all of the other Atriums.
Anouk
Headphoneus Supremus
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Hello everyone, Getting back into head-fi after a few years and looking for one headphone to use with my music collection.
I thought i was all set to go for focal radiance (i odnt need lcose but the descriptions were pretty good) but then I read about hifiman arya and hifiman he1000 stealth. and the fostex 909 and now this one the open atrium.
My favourite genres are classical (piano/guitar) and singer/songwriter but i listento all kinds of music.
I love soundstage and good imaging. I have never heard a zmf headphone before.
Can anyone help me relate these to focal, fostex of hifiman products? I know some of these are planar and some of these are closed.
I would be using these with a solid state amp possible hifiman ef600 or ifi audio diablo or micro idsd signature.
Thanks in advance for any help/advice
Greetings, Anouk,
I thought i was all set to go for focal radiance (i odnt need lcose but the descriptions were pretty good) but then I read about hifiman arya and hifiman he1000 stealth. and the fostex 909 and now this one the open atrium.
My favourite genres are classical (piano/guitar) and singer/songwriter but i listento all kinds of music.
I love soundstage and good imaging. I have never heard a zmf headphone before.
Can anyone help me relate these to focal, fostex of hifiman products? I know some of these are planar and some of these are closed.
I would be using these with a solid state amp possible hifiman ef600 or ifi audio diablo or micro idsd signature.
Thanks in advance for any help/advice
Greetings, Anouk,
JackarlTwo
500+ Head-Fier
They have other meshes (solid and radial vented) in DIY parts, depending on if you want a slightly darker or bright sound, but I suspect most people are fine with the stock mesh.
If you love soundstage you can't go wrong with Atrium. Piano and guitars sound very lifelike on them.
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I adore the Atrium for those genres, mainly due to the Atrium having the most life-like timbre I've ever heard from cans, coupled with with their awesome soundstage & imaging.
It gives the music real body.
I'm sure others can chime in on the direct comparisons, but I highly doubt you'd be disappointed with the Atriums.
If I could only have one pair of headphones as a do-it-all pair, it'd be the Atrium for sure. Everything sounds good, and a lot of things sound amazing.
LCMusicLover
Headphoneus Supremus
I can only speak to HEK vs ZMF — haven’t heard a Fostex for a long time (nor from a great chain).
I own Auteur Classic & Atrium, as well as an HEKse. I previously owned an HEKv2 which I sold when I bought the HEKse.
To me, the HEKs were pretty close, with the se being a little warmer, with fuller mids vs the v2. But they were fairly close, and from impressions I’ve read, I don’t think the Stealth edition will be very different either.
Given all that throat clearing … when you said Classical, I thought Hifiman, but then I saw ‘piano/guitar’. My HEKs are/were headstage kings — only a bit less expansive than HD-800, which is great for orchestral music. Most of my Classical listening is Romantic symphonies, concertos, ballets, etc. and while I can enjoy that music from Atrium, I prefer HEK for it.
But for solo instrument or small ensemble (say string quartet) Atrium stage is great. (To be clear, Atrium imaging is great, but I prefer the more expansive stage for orchestral.)
Which really gets us to tonality and technicalities. And there it comes down to personal preferences. HEK are more technical — you’re gonna hear everything from them. Atrium are no slouch in technicalities, but are still a notch below the HEK. HEK also seem faster, both on attack and decay. And that difference is significant enough that I frequently change filters on my DACs (filter 1 for ZMFs, filter 3 or 4 for HEK on my TT2) and it’s the only case where I’ve heard a noticeable difference from different filters.
To me, the ace in all this is vocals, and to my ears, Atrium has the high hand. Vocals are very good from my HEKse, but they literally drip emotion from my Atrium. Plus, I enjoy high-pitched female vocals more from Atrium. I wouldn’t call HEK sibilant, but some voices (Joni Mitchell, Marisa Nadler) can be somewhat piercing/strident.
Aside: I had a Meze Elite and Atrium concurrently and had a very hard time choosing between them. A big part of that was the fact that Elite (besides being supremely comfortable) produced vocals which were every bit as great as Atrium’s.
Hope that helps
Deleeh
Headphoneus Supremus
Unfortunately, I have read something different about it.
However, it has to be said that it is more a subtle thing in decay and reverb.
I asked because I still have an Auteur Og in Maple Ambrosia which is quite soft and I love listening to it.
I don't hear much of it there, for example.
Since the choice between Bocote and Redheart is there
I thought like this.
Redheart is quite soft, Bocote harder than Red but still soft enough.
Visually also nicer for me than Cherry,Cherry is supposed to be a bit harder than both Ldt.
I have read a lot of good things about Bocote on the other models where they are amazing.
Even Auteur is supposed to be very good with it.
I probably wanted to put my last self-doubt somewhere.
I have looked at the Mesh, but I still have doubts about it.
That would be more of an option if it didn't work for me at all, which I doubt a bit.
I would go much more for pads for now.
I read a lot of people went more for the Be2, were they leather or suede?
That would be another thing I would say when I order the Atrium.
However, it has to be said that it is more a subtle thing in decay and reverb.
I asked because I still have an Auteur Og in Maple Ambrosia which is quite soft and I love listening to it.
I don't hear much of it there, for example.
Since the choice between Bocote and Redheart is there
I thought like this.
Redheart is quite soft, Bocote harder than Red but still soft enough.
Visually also nicer for me than Cherry,Cherry is supposed to be a bit harder than both Ldt.
I have read a lot of good things about Bocote on the other models where they are amazing.
Even Auteur is supposed to be very good with it.
I probably wanted to put my last self-doubt somewhere.
I have looked at the Mesh, but I still have doubts about it.
That would be more of an option if it didn't work for me at all, which I doubt a bit.
I would go much more for pads for now.
I read a lot of people went more for the Be2, were they leather or suede?
That would be another thing I would say when I order the Atrium.
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